UN promises to open Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline in one to two weeks
[ad_1]
The export of Russian ammonia in transit through Ukraine will be resumed within one to two weeks. Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs, made such a statement. We are talking about deliveries via the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, part of which runs on Ukrainian territory.
According to Griffiths, negotiations on the resumption of exports are going very well and may be completed soon. “I think we’re pretty close, we’re getting closer to it this week. I think we will achieve this,” Griffiths said.
He noted that if the ammonia pipeline is not launched in the near future, then in 2023 there will be problems with the availability of food. “So this is extremely important, almost more important than grain,” the UN official added, referring to a July deal to move grain and fertilizer out of Russia and Ukraine, where the UN mediates. On the Russian side, ammonia is produced by Togliattiazot, controlled by Uralchem, part of the pipeline to the Russian-Ukrainian border also belongs to Uralchem. In 2020, a record 2 million tons of ammonia were pumped through the pipeline, data for 2021 were not disclosed, the facility ceased to function after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
The grounds for the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, including ammonia, were part of the grain deal. Throughout the entire period of its operation – since July 2022 – Moscow has regularly signaled that these points of the deal are not being systematically fulfilled, while the Ukrainian side was able to export its grain. On November 18, the deal was extended. On November 23, at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Uralchem’s co-owner (owns 48%) Dmitry Mazepin said that UN officials were “fed with promises” that the pipeline would open, but after the extension of the deal, they said that it was “already connected, sorry.” Putin promised to help Mazepin and appeal to the UN about opening the pipeline.
[ad_2]
Source link
